ROMANCE: Mason (Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance Boxset) (New Adult Contemporary Stepbrother Romance Collection) (66 page)

Teddy snorted.  “You don’t know her very well then.”  His eyes took on a cruel glint.  He knew he should shut up himself, but something was pulling his vocal chords; demanding he tell all of his vile secrets.  “Autumn was my girlfriend, but Becky here,” He jerked a thumb in her direction.  “Had no problem with me screwing her and her daughter.”  He smiled wickedly.  “Not at the same time, of course.”

“Of course.”  Daniel said coldly. 

“When was she here?”  Becky’s voice was small and wavered. 

“A few weeks ago.  She was with a man…of sorts.”

Teddy bristled.  “You don’t say.”

“No worries, she was perfectly fine.  I believe she left the area and went home with him.”

“Really?”  Teddy’s voice was taking on the deadly calm that Becky had learned to fear.  “And why would she do that?”

Daniel smiled.  “I have no idea.”  He stood and walked to the fireplace.  “Have you seen my portrait?”

All eyes followed him.  He didn’t turn to look back at them, but one corner of his mouthed twitched upward as Becky gasped. 

“My God!  Leanne…”

Daniel turned slowly, his pale eyes darkening.  “Did you ever wonder what happened to your sister?”

Becky nodded her head.  Fat tears spilled onto the bodice of her cheap dress.  “She was my older sister.  She was ten when I was born.  She disappeared when I was fifteen.”

Daniel wanted to grin, the pieces were falling into place, and it was so beautiful!  Yet grinning at this woman right now would be unusually cruel, even for him. 

“I met her soon after she ran away from your childhood home.”  He lied easily.  

“You must have been close…you’re in the picture together.”

Daniel looked at her full on.  “She was my wife.”  Daniel’s reflexes were lightning fast.  He caught Becky Coates right as she fainted.

Autumn and Dalton sat on the front steps enjoying the clear crisp night.  No trick or treaters came to their door, much to Mika’s dismay, but Dalton had assured her that they were too far in the country for that.  It wasn’t a personal insult.  Mika had accepted the reasoning and proceeded to fix everyone bulging zip lock bags of candies. 

Autumn unwrapped a mini Snickers bar and waved it in front of Dalton’s face.  “Come on…you know you want it!” 

Dalton laughed as she shoved it into his mouth.  “I guess I can’t diabetes from one night of sugar carnage.”

“It wouldn’t have been so bad if Winnie hadn’t of made that caramel cake.”

Dalton hung his head for a moment.  “Dear God, that was sinful.” 

“I know!”  Autumn laughed and stood.  “Come on, let’s go to bed.” 

They walked in and found Trina and Chris deep in conversation at the kitchen table.  Autumn ran her hand lightly over Trina’s shoulders. 

“Good night.”

“Night.”  Trina smiled up at her.  “I guess we’ll have lots of time to hang out now.”  She winked. 

“Yep.”  Autumn felt a warm glow spread through her.  She was finally part of something solid; something good. 

Dalton tugged his t-shirt over his head and flopped backwards onto the bed.  “What a day.”

“A good day.” 

“I never thought my pack would be this large.”  He reached for her.  “I had hoped, but I never thought it would be so.”

“I’m glad to be part of it.”  She pulled the pins loose from her bun, and shook her hair loose. 

Dalton ran a finger along her jaw.  “You’re so beautiful.” 

“Oh, the things you say.”  She teased. 

“I mean it.” 

“Don’t get too amorous.  We still have a couple of weeks.”

“But, we’re planning on getting married.”

Autumn shook her head.  “True.” 

In reality, she wasn’t sure if she could hold out for the next two weeks.  Their sleeping together was peppered with fondling and outright hot making out, (which had even produced one embarrassing mark on her neck), but it was proving harder and harder to resist his advances.  In truth she was guilty herself of some of the advances.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”  She moved her hazel eyes away.  “I just really wanted to wait until we were married.” 

“Oh.”  Dalton sighed and scooted off the edge of the bed.

“Where are you going?”

“I just remembered that I needed to tell Brian something.” 

“Ok…I’ll be waiting for you.” 

An hour later Dalton peeked in the bedroom and sighed all over again when he saw Autumn asleep on the bed.  She had taken her clothes off and was curled under the covers in one of his t-shirts, her body curled in a fetal position. 

Dalton stroked the top of her head, jerking it away as she moved.  She didn’t need to know that he had gone back out to sit on the steps.  She wanted to wait, and wait they would; even if it meant that he would have to stay at Chuck and Winnie’s in the interim.  This was his wedding gift to her. 

Teddy looked at Becky with disgust.  He leaned over and spoke softly in her ear.  “Fainting? Really?”

She shot him a dirty look and sipped more water. 

“There’s nothing wrong with fainting, Mr. Roberts.  After all she had received a brutal shock.  All those years.”  He looked at Becky sympathetically.  “All those years she thought her sister was gone.  Maybe she thought she was dead, and here she was…only an hour away.”

Becky shifted uneasily.  Daniel continued. 

“I could have known my sister in law…and my niece.  What an odd coincidence that I should meet Autumn later anyway.” 

“Yes.”  Becky said vacantly. 

“So, tell me, Becky, what was the circumstance with Leanne leaving home?”

Becky felt a tremor coming over her.  She just wanted a cigarette and another glass of champagne. 

“Please have one of mine.”  Daniel smiled graciously and held out a silver cigarette case to her.  The cigarettes were lined up neatly; black paper jutted out from their white filters.  She shuddered again.  Maybe he had read her mind. 

“What the hell kind of smokes are those?”  Teddy demanded, looking at the odd cigarettes skeptically. 

“Clove.  It’s actually my own special blend.”  He held the case out for Teddy too.  Once they both had taken one, he produced a Zippo and lit them.

“Nice.”  Teddy said, nodding his head. 

“Yes, it’s very smooth.”  Daniel shut the case with a snap.  He walked gracefully to the bar at the far side of the room and poured a generous amount of bourbon into two cut glass tumblers.  He brought the glasses back to them.

“Why aren’t you having any?”  Teddy asked, looking suspiciously into the liquid. 

“I don’t drink.”

“Then why do you have it?”

“For my guests.”  He replied smoothly, taking his seat again.  He glanced into Tonya’s bored face.  “I guess it’s time we get right down to business.” 

“I agree.”  Teddy said and slid his now empty tumbler onto the coffee table. 

“We have time later to discuss business, Teddy.  I actually wish to speak with Becky…alone if you don’t mind.”

“She don’t need to talk to you alone.”  Teddy said, his voice like stone.  He flicked ash towards the ashtray and missed.  He didn’t acknowledge the ash on the carpet. 

Daniel’s eyes never left his.  “Bretton please take care of the ash.  Mr. Roberts seems to be a little off aim.” 

Teddy could read the danger in Daniel’s eyes, and didn’t try to defend himself. 

Daniel smiled at Becky, but she shuddered as the smile never made it past his lips.  Something was very wrong with the situation. 

“Leanne left me for a short period of time.”  He glanced at the ceiling as if he needed to remember, as if he could ever forget.  “Oh, I don’t know…about twenty four years ago…perhaps a tiny bit longer.”  He pinned her with hard eyes.  Becky had no choice but to look at him.  “Do you perhaps know anything about that?”

“No.”  She whispered. 

Tonya flashed her a hot grin.  “She lies.” 

“Yes, and it’s unfortunate.”  Daniel stood and produced a key from his pocket.  “Here’s a key to one of the rooms on this floor.  Please…you’ve both been drinking, and I prefer you stay.  We can talk more in the morning.”

“Now wait one damn minute!”  Teddy said and stood wobbly to his feet.  Daniel appeared as two men standing in front of him.  “What did you do?”

“Nothing.” 

Teddy blinked, sweat popping out on his forehead, as Daniel and his twin reproduced again.  He was now trying to focus on triplets.  Daniel’s voice was suddenly warped and metallic sounding, as if he were speaking from inside a bell.

“Sleep…and…better.”

“What?”  Teddy slurred. 

“I said you need to sleep and tomorrow you will feel better.”

Teddy blinked rapidly.  Daniel Blacksmith had just spoken to him without moving his lips. 

“Bretton.  Tonya.  Please help Mr. Roberts to his room.  I would like to speak with Becky a little longer.” 

Becky didn’t watch as they half dragged Teddy from the room.  She didn’t know how Daniel had drugged Teddy’s drink, but it was obvious he hadn’t bothered with hers.  A sick feeling swam through her stomach.  It was time for reckoning.  She knew it, and she supposed Daniel Blacksmith did too. 

Becky stared up at the picture of Leanne.  She wished she could just go back.  If she could go back, she would tell her no.  She felt Daniel hovering behind her.  He was so close, yet he didn’t touch her.  She should have been able to feel the natural human electricity when one human, a male with a female in particular, was so close to another.  She felt nothing but fear and the maddening lust he had invoked in her earlier.

“You look a lot like her.  I find it funny that Autumn looks more like her than you, though.” 

“I guess genes are funny that way.” 

“They can be.”  He ran a cool hand lightly along her jaw.  He could feel her black energy.  She was a witch.  A weak one, but a witch none the less.  Just like Leanne. 

“You have powers.”

Becky barked a laugh which immediately turned into a ripping sob.  She shook her head violently.  “No!  I’m empty…I’m nothing.”

Daniel turned her around and laid a long arm over her shoulders.  He began walking her slowly to the doors at the other end of the room.  He spoke to her mind. 

“Your very important, Becky, and you are going to help me.”

She sniffed quietly, keeping her eyes on the slow progression of their feet.  “How can I help you?”

Daniel stopped and opened the double doors to his bedroom.  He was glad Teddy Roberts wouldn’t be necessary.  He could decide his fate later.  Right then he had other business to attend to. 

“You hold the key puzzle piece, my dear.  You know that.”

“I don’t…” 

Daniel picked her up and tossed her onto the large four pollster bed, slamming and locking the double doors as she hit the mattress.

Becky ran her hands over the satin covering, her eyes lighting up greedily.  She was used to the squeaky worn down bed at her house.  Hell, she was even used to dirty toilets and the occasional back seat of a car, but this…this was something she had only dreamed of.  Becky looked up as Daniel became a blur.  He was standing at the doors staring at her darkly, then before she could blink, he was on the bed crawling to her.  

“How did you do that?”

“Would you like to learn?”  He asked taking his jacket off and loosening his tie. 

Becky watched each article of clothing leave his lean muscular frame.  His skin was smooth and white.  He looked like a god as he dropped to his knees before her.  She didn’t resist as he unbuttoned the top two buttons of her dress, but she gasped when he ripped the thin material from her body, and tossed it aside. 

“You don’t need to wear clothes such as that.  I’ll dress you in finery.”  His silky voice caressed her deeply.  Her bra and panties met the same fate, and she could feel whelps forming as the fabric tore past her skin. 

Daniel wouldn’t let on that he was disappointed in her slim slightly neglected frame.  She was female, but this had nothing to do with lust.  After tonight she would be putty in his hands.  After tonight she would be bound to him, forever.  She would be just another tool at his disposal. 

He slapped her legs apart and touched the soft flesh between her legs, manipulating the outside folds of skin.  His fingers came away moist. 

“Touch me like that again.”  She whispered. 

“Are you sure you want me to?”  His eyes were intense, demanding dark pits.  The gray couldn’t pick up the single candle flame that flickered nearby. 

“Yes…I want you to.” 

Daniel touched her again, while forcing her completely flat with his other hand.  He ran his fingers in and out of her until she screamed.  His half shadowed grin was the most terrifying thing Becky had ever seen.  She had changed her mind.  She didn’t want it!  But it was too late.  His powerful hands were on her shoulders like vices and he thrust into her with a savagery she didn’t know existed.  The thing her mind couldn’t wrap around was why she should feel so cold as he thrust into her over and over, each slam of his hips growing stronger; and why was she already riding the crest of another mind numbing orgasm in light of it?